Chapter 8
146.
In the midst of Mud Brawling, heavy footsteps resonate in the town proper, halting the whole tournament. As it got closer, most of the competitors felt like the sound was familiar, they were certain that it wasn't from an earthquake. At that moment, everyone realized what was going to happen and a few seconds later, Mathus came out from the forest, with Darli and Lulu beside him.
"Don't tell me Darli and Lulu made him go here…" Raven said.
"Let's just talk with him first, looks like he's waiting for us there," Yuna replied.
FeLinE, Raven, and Yuna approach Mathus to clarify the events, but before they can even start the conversation, Mathus asks them first, "You need the elders' reward?"
"Aaahh… Hai," Yuna confusedly answered.
"Then, let's end this," Mathus replied. He then stretches his neck and heads straight to the registrar.
"What did nyu guys do?" Raven asked Darli and Lulu.
"Aaaahm… Be extremely annoying? At least that's what I thought we were doing. Mathus told us that he's been thinking about what FeLinE said, and then Darli talked endlessly, so I followed her lead and now Mathus is here." Lulu answered.
"Is that important? Mathus will finally compete now, let's go!" Darli said as she ran towards the registrar.
"It worked with FeLinE, and now to Mathus. I guess being annoying is actually a skill that works really well for others." Raven commented.
"We should try asking Kita for lectures," Yuna responded.
"FeLinE hates that skill…" FeLinE:1000X added.
"I wonder who's the most annoying one, Dydae asking for a rematch, Darli talking endlessly, or Kita in general," Lulu mentioned as they all followed Darli.
Despite Mathus' appearance, it still doesn't solve the team's problem. No new challengers entering the competition, and the current list is complete. It is a good opportunity for them to defeat everyone, but can they win against Mathus?
The tournament continues and just like everyone's expectation, Mathus is casually defeating every competitor match after match. No one can outbattle Mathus in both strength and speed, even Dydae's tactical use of the field cannot outwit Mathus.
"How are we going to beat that?" Raven asked Yuna and FeLinE. They haven't faced Mathus yet though they are next on the line.
"I think it will be a close match between him and FeLinE, but for us, not so much," Yuna replied.
"Is he still a Kemi?" Darli questioned.
"Nyu are asking that now after pissing him off?" Lulu responded.
"Heeeeey, I don't judge anyone by their appearance. Some Dragons look scary but they are not as aggressive as they look." Darli argued.
The win records of FeLinE, Raven, Yuna, and Mathus are getting close to the current number of competitors. Each brawl gets more exciting as the crowd anticipates the winner of the match, rooting for their favorite Brawler. Ever since Mathus entered the competition, everyone in the realm thought that no one would beat him. But now, they are betting amongst FeLinE, Raven, and Yuna, the three candidates that might defeat the Mammothman.
The town gets more crowded as the Brawl catches everyone's interest. The news even reached the elders and they decided to watch as well, which is considered rare in Hachtile. The 5 respected Komodoman, also known as the elders of Hachtile, left the cave and joined the crowd for the first time this year.
"Everyone is talking about the elders, is it them?" Darli asked as she pointed to the 5 old Komodoman wearing royal clothing.
"They are wearing some sort of headdress, their outfit truly differs from the others, everyone walks aside to give them space, and most importantly, they are all old. I'm quite sure that they are the elders." Lulu answered.
As the daylight slowly diminishes, there's a possibility that Mathus and the tournament favorites might not battle against each other due to the lined-up matches. Because of that, the crowd starts chanting, "SPE-CIAL-RULE, SPE-CIAL-RULE!" Forcing the elders to bring up the so-called Special Rule.
"What's a Special Rule?" Lulu asked.
"I don't know, but it sounds fun sooooo let's join them!" Darli replied as the two of them joined the crowd's noise.
A few moments later, the registrar halted the chant because the elders had made their decision. "The Mud Brawl will continue until the next dawn, THE SPECIAL RULE IS GRANTED!" The Iguanaman announced.
The crowd goes wild as they celebrate the announcement. The Special Rule allows the competitors to brawl all night, and it eliminates the 24-hour new entry rule. Meaning, that whoever can complete the list before the next morning will be the Mud Brawl Champ. It's a very rare moment that only happens approximately once a year, sometimes it doesn't at all. But for this night, the Special Rule is implemented.
Nighttime comes and that's when team FeLinE finally realizes the meaning of the Special Rule, telling them that they are in for an eventful night. Eventually, the moment that everyone is waiting for finally starts, and the first one to battle Mathus is Raven.
"Are nyu not gonna let us win?" Raven kiddingly asked.
"You wanted me to compete, so here I am," Mathus replied.
"I guess we should really be careful what we wish for," Raven said.
And so, the Mud Brawl between Mathus and Raven begins. Mathus charged forward as Raven stood her ground, pushing each other to assess how strong the opponent was.
"You're a lot stronger than I thought," Mathus said as he slowly added more strength.
"And nyu are definitely a lot stronger," Raven replied while having a hard time defending.
Raven clearly knows that she cannot out-muscle Mathus. She's planning to let Mathus exert more strength and then use it against himself at the right time. A couple more seconds later, Raven let Mathus push her completely, causing them to lose balance. As Mathus dives forward, Raven transfers the momentum and kicks Mathus in his stomach, tossing him backward. The audience went crazy as they saw Mathus flying into the mud for the first time.
Mathus stands up as he says, "Well executed, you could break your backbone if the force wasn't enough."
"I appreciate the compliment," Raven replied.
Mathus attacks once more while Raven prepares her stance. The strategy of the opposing side is now clear to both of them; Mathus uses his brute strength, and Raven is on the defensive side. The only way for Raven to win this match is to use Mathus' weight against him, it will all come down to execution.
147.
As the battle continues, Raven has been doing well the whole match, though it is evident that Raven cannot keep doing her strategy throughout the battle. The crowd thought that Raven would win the match since she managed to throw Mathus into the mud multiple times by now. The problem is, Mathus keeps standing up, and charging in like it was nothing. It turns out, Mathus is intentionally just draining Raven's energy since he'll never get tired.
"You know that I can do this all night, you'll lose if you just keep on throwing me," Mathus said.
"I know, I know…" Raven frustratedly replied. She's been trying to pin Mathus but since she
cannot find an opening to do so, Raven ends up throwing Mathus to reset the space between them.
Standing with the last bit of her energy, Raven decided to fully commit to Mathus' next attack. If she fails to pin Mathus on this one, she won't be able to throw him off again. Raven is already tired, and it's all or nothing now.
Mathus noticed that Raven adjusted her stances. He immediately understood that Raven was preparing for one last swing, Mathus wasted no time and began his charge again. This time, Raven dodged to her right side and kicked Mathus' back with full strength. Mathus lost his balance and Raven took this opportunity to finally pin Mathus. She closes the gap, aiming to grab Mathus' left arm and then lock it to his back. But unfortunately for Raven, Mathus reacted faster than she anticipated. As Mathus falls down, he grabs Raven's arm first and pulls her down to the mud as they switch places. In the end, Raven is the one who gets pinned down in the mud and loses the battle.
"That was tough… I really couldn't find any opening!" Raven complained while sitting in the mud.
"You did find one, you are just too slow for it," Mathus replied, pertaining to the last moment when Raven kicked him.
Raven laughed as she said, "I guess I need to work with my speed," it was a close fight and the crowd was thrilled. Truly, Mathus is a formidable opponent, especially in a duel.
The next competitor is Yuna, this time, they both have talents that are hidden from the public. There are no rules about using talent in a match but witnessing that the elders can alter the rules for the benefit of entertainment, it's better for Yuna and Mathus to not let the elders know about their talent.
To make things fair, Yuna proposed a wager to Mathus. Yuna will run around and will secretly use her talent to her advantage while Mathus chases him. If Mathus fails to catch her within 3 minutes, then Yuna wins the battle. But if Mathus catches her before the time runs up, then Mathus wins. The Kemi who loses will surrender from the match.
It's clear that Yuna has the advantage in this setup since she can levitate and not fully submerge her foot in the mud. However, she still needs to dip at least half of the mud's depth, so it won't be too suspicious. On the flip side, Mathus will run in 1-foot-deep mud, which is way harder than swimming in the ocean. Mathus' talent will only benefit him if the time allotted is unlimited, but since there's a 3-minute duration, it will all rely on his speed and accuracy.
To have an official timekeeper, Yuna and Mathus both agreed to let Dydae track the 3-minute time. Both of them agreed to Dydae's rematch request in exchange for keeping the minute count accurate. Dydae immediately accepted the task, and thus the battle began.
"Start!" Dydae shouted and the chase was on. Yuna immediately hops around to gain some distance but Mathus is no slouch, his lower body strength makes it look easy to run in deep mud. In fact, the audience views the same way with Yuna since she can levitate.
It was the first time that the crowd had witnessed such a battle. They were confused at the beginning but when they finally understood the stakes, the crowd was hyped up. They never thought that mud chase could be this intense. Dodging, side-stepping, and other different skills to out-maneuver each other. A little modification to the arena could turn this unusual match into another potential event. The elders are even considering Mud Chase as the second tournament in Hachtile.
Thanks to frequently chasing Kita, Yuna gained some tricks on how to maintain an optimal distance. Every time Mathus closes the gap, Yuna hops left and right alternately to confuse him. If Mathus uses his left arm to reach her, Yuna will jump to the right side, and then vice versa. It's tricky for Mathus since there's no pattern for him to decipher, the technique is reaction-based, meaning, Yuna's next move will only depend on Mathus' action.
There are no dull moments in the first 2 minutes of the chase, and 30 seconds more into the match, Yuna is starting to catch her breath. Despite out-maneuvering the opponent, Mathus' endless pursuit made it impossible for Yuna to take even a second of rest, draining her stamina relentlessly. Dydae counted the last 10 seconds of the match, by the time it was 4 seconds left, Mathus went all out and managed to tap Yuna's shoulder, winning the match by a small margin.
Yuna falls down to her knees, worn out from the chase. "I thought 3 minutes was short enough, that's the longest 3 minutes of my life," Yuna said. She was the one who proposed the idea, thinking that she could gain a fair advantage in that way. Sadly, she was 4 seconds short of victory.
"You did great. You are a commendable tactician." Mathus praised Yuna's efforts.
"I definitely need to work on my stamina…" Yuna replied while breathing heavily.
Once again, Mathus is the victor. Raven and Yuna put up a close fight, electrifying the crowd that night. Some of the locals argue that Raven or Yuna might win in a rematch but that won't happen tonight.
In the next 2 matches, FeLinE faced Raven and Yuna. Just like in their plan, the other two will surrender to the one who's closest to winning the whole tournament. And since FeLinE is their last hope to win it all, Raven and Yuna both surrendered their match against FeLinE, adding more wins, and trusting FeLinE to defeat Mathus.
148.
The tournament has been an eventful one, from a straight-on Mud brawl trying to pin the other opponent, to a modified battle that gave the elders an idea for a new tournament in Hachtile. But of course, the competition is not yet over, it's time for Mathus versus FeLinE, the final match for tonight's Mud Brawl. Both of them are one win away from completing their win list, whoever wins the match will be crowned as the new Mud Brawl champ. A feat that no one has ever done for the last 2 years.
Currently standing in the middle where everyone watches, FeLinE and Mathus are stretching up before the match begins. The chants get louder as the crowd supports their chosen competitor.
"FeLinE will go all out," FeLinE:1000X warned Mathus.
"That's more I like it," Mathus replied.
Without further ado, the final brawl starts. FeLinE charged in as Mathus responded the same way. They thought it would be similar to Raven's match, but it is not the case. The battle turned into a close combat match.
Throwing punches against each other, FeLinE and Mathus have different styles of close combat. FeLinE attacks and dodges while Mathus is more on parry and counterattacks, both showing masterful combat and everyone watches another extraordinary battle. Even the rest of team FeLinE were surprised, they didn't know that FeLinE was capable of hand-to-hand close combat.
"Now I'm officially scared of her," Raven commented as they watched.
"And I am officially her fan, she's so cool!" Darli responded.
"I bet she's been wanting to do this when dealing with the annoying corrupted Kemis. This competition allowed her to go nuts!" Lulu said.
"If Sentient Kemis can fight like that, how did King Luke escape and beat them all?" Yuna questioned.
"Well, he was the last Mud Brawl Champ. Dydae also mentioned that he did beat everyone in a single day and made it look easy, it also means that King Luke didn't even need the Special Rule to win it all. I guess knowing the future is an incredible talent." Raven answered.
As the duel keeps going, FeLinE finally analyzes Mathus' moves. FeLinE moves closer, and every time she manages to dodge an attack, she will respond with a jab, hitting the torso of Mathus. Dodge and jab, this technique allowed FeLinE to continuously land punches left and right while Mathus couldn't.
The crowd is ecstatic, it looks like FeLinE is too slippery for Mathus. But of course, Being an expert duelist, Mathus also adjusted his fighting style by focusing on defense. Blocking each punch instead of fully committing on offense.
"Tired of not landing any punch?" FeLinE:1000X said.
"We both know who will eventually get tired in this match," Mathus responded.
With limitless energy, it doesn't matter if FeLinE can out-duel Mathus. As long as FeLinE can't land a fatal blow, then Mathus can keep his composure and wait for an opening. It is truly frustrating to deal with, especially for FeLinE who is a short-tempered Kemi.
Aside from his overwhelming stamina, Mathus proved his strength and reflexes in his first match. The second one showed his speed and accuracy. And now, Mathus is showcasing his tenacity and durability. His experience in the Underworld developed his killer instincts, but his time in Hachtile taught him how to fight smartly, not just aggressively.
It has been a long duel and FeLinE ends up with limited options. She just couldn't break through the defense. Everyone can see how determined FeLinE is, but sadly, some hurdles are impossible to overcome. Things won't always go the way they want, but it could lead them to the way they need it. Exhausted from attacking, FeLinE jumps backward in order to create space and take some rest.
"You are a true warrior, you have my respect," Mathus said.
"FeLinE doesn't need your respect, FeLinE needs to win," FeLinE:1000X replied.
"One thing that a warrior should learn is to know when exactly they need to retreat, or else they'll lose everything, just like what happened to me. You don't have to win all of your battles, you may rest now," Mathus mentioned.
"FeLinE needs to, they are relying on FeLinE," FeLinE:1000X responded.
"Trust me, you can rely on me this time," Mathus said firmly.
FeLinE is confused, she doesn't know what Mathus means by his statement. It made her pause and think deeply, trying to decipher the different outcomes of the match. FeLinE is used to being rational and will only act logically, but for the first time, she will try to listen to her guts. It could be the most irrational thing for FeLinE to do.
After a short while, FeLinE said, "FeLinE surrenders."
Everyone was flabbergasted, her words silenced the whole place. No one thought that the fierce duel would end up this way. It was a bit anti-climactic, but FeLinE definitely gave them a good fight. With that, the match ended, and Mathus was the new Mud Brawl Champ. A historic night for the realm, and a heartbreaking one for team FeLinE.
FeLinE walked back to the surface and the rest of the team immediately comforted her.
"It's fine, nyu did great," Yuna said.
"Mathus can't even hit, if nyu ask me, nyu are the true winner of that match!" Lulu commented.
"I agree! We were surprised by your skills!" Darli added.
"Mathus is surely tough, he looks unbeatable. But don't worry, we can still try again next time," Raven mentioned.
"There will be no next time," FeLinE responded.
"What do nyu mean?" Yuna asked.
"Mathus told FeLinE to trust him. Knowing that I wouldn't win the match-up, FeLinE surrendered and trusted his words," FeLinE:1000X told the truth, and the rest didn't know how to react to it.
Speaking of Mathus, he approached the group and said, "They are taking me to the elder's place, follow me." Giving the benefit of the doubt, team FeLinE followed him without any question.
The crowd leaves the place while the Lizardmen escort Mathus and others to the cave. The tension in Hachtile slowly de-escalates but team FeLinE does not feel the same way. The situation that they are in is confusing, none of them has the slightest clue of what's going on. On the flip side, this can be a good opportunity for them to finally see what's inside the cave, and study how the elders interact with the Templarites.
149.
Finally reaching the destination, the elders sat on their thrones first and then the rest entered. Out of all the caves they have been in, this one is the most modified one, mainly because the elders live here. The ambiance still gives an ancient vibe but it was transformed into a more comfortable place to stay in.
A few moments later, it seems like one of the Komodoman is talking to someone they couldn't see. By the looks of things, he is just inaudibly communicating to thin air.
"Is he nuts?" Darli whispered to Lulu.
"I am not sure, but maybe," Lulu whispered back.
Darli and Lulu's small talk was immediately halted when one of the elders started to speak, "Mud Brawl Champ, what is that you desire?" He asked.
Without having any second thoughts, Mathus answered, "My request is to grant whatever this group wants."
"Wait, what?" everyone in team FeLinE reacted all at the same time.
"Don't you want it?" Mathus questioned.
"We do, but why?" Raven responded.
"I don't want anything other than my own peace, whereas your group needed this request to accomplish something. That means letting you get what you want will also protect my peace. Hideo has been plotting a lot of schemes, but the one that I am more wary of is Cerono." Mathus said.
"Cerono? Why her?" Yuna replied.
"You haven't caught her, right? These problems will keep coming out one after the other if you can't catch her." Mathus answered.
"Okay, I understand that part clearly. But what I couldn't decipher is; why do nyu have to beat all of us if nyu are just gonna transfer the request anyway? I mean, nyu could just let us win during the finals." Raven questioned.
"Your group is overzealous, it reminded me of how I used to be, that I could win every battle. I just proved that some are unbeatable, and it's better to learn it now before facing the tougher ones." Mathus explained as he walked away. Leaving the cave, and letting team FeLinE claim their request.
"The Mud Brawl Champ has decided and left. So, what is that you desire?" The elder once again asked but to FeLinE this time.
Even though they are currently puzzled, the team still took the opportunity. "The Mystical Runekey," FeLinE:1000X answered.
"I see, just like the previous champ. Henceforth, the request is granted." The elder said.
The odd Komodoman earlier stood up and proceeded to the shrine. After a short while, he came back holding the Mystical Runekey, handing it to the group like it was nothing.
"Quick question, are there no spirits around here that guard the Mystical Runekey?" Yuna curiously asked while FeLinE received the artifact.
"Oh, you mean the Templarites? You can see them too?" The Komodoman excitedly replied.
"No, we can't. We just know that they exist because we encountered them in different realms-" Yuna was about to explain how they come across these spirits but she suddenly realized the response of the elder. "Wait, nyu can see them?" She questioned.
"Yes, I do, the previous Mud Brawl champ also called them Templarites. I was amazed how the previous champ knew about their name without seeing them, I guess you really need to have a talent to actually see them." The Komodoman said.
"Is that the reason why the elders can stay here? Other Templarites are hostile in terms of guarding the Mystical Runekey." Yuna asked.
"They were also hostile at first, but after I fused with a Runecrystal, I managed to be friends with them. They, later on, invited us here. Mud Brawl has been a distraction for the seekers of the artifact. The Templarites said that we were already doing their job. They also agreed to let the winner have the Mystical Runekey since only those who knew about it would request it. Winning the tournament and requesting the artifact means that person knows what they are doing. This setup fends off unwanted wanderers, allowing the Templarites to goof off instead of guarding the whole time." The Komodoman explained thoroughly.
"I bet other Templarites will be jealous of the Templarites here," Lulu commented.
"By the way, how did you guys figure out their names?" The Komodoman curiously asked.
"We found the previous champ's research about them and used it as a guide. FeLinE only regained FeLinE's memory recently, finally remembering what the spirits were called and their purpose." FeLinE:1000X answered.
"I see, looks like he really is a smart man on a mission. Anyway, I wish your group the best of luck, the Templarites also support your journey." The Komodoman said.
It all makes sense now for team FeLinE, and they also confirmed some speculations: (1) the so-called Templarites are the actual name of the spirits. (2) Not all shrines have Templarites, only those inside the cave. (3) Templarites are rational beings that can be communicated through talent, like Lulu to Giant Beasts and Maiko to Beast Mimis.
Eventually, the team said goodbye to the elders and left the place. As they return to UniPaws, the adrenaline wears off and all of them fall to their knees upon crossing the Ruin.
The daylight is only about to shine, luckily, Rubi, Mae, Mittsy, and Coco spotted the group. They want to assist the team towards the camp but it seems like team FeLinE prefers to stay on the grass for a little longer. The five of them lie down as Rubi, Mae, Mittsy, and Coco stand there, trying to understand the situation.
Raven put her hand in the air and shouted, "WE FINALLY DID IT!" The rest of the team copied her as they joined the celebration, "NYATTA!"
"They must have been through a lot," Mae mentioned.
"They look so tired but at the same time satisfied with their achievement," Mittsy responded.
"My poor Lulu, let me get nyu something warm!" Coco said as she went back to the camp.
On the other hand, Rubi, Mae, and Mittsy also lie down on the grass joining team FeLinE. The journey truly tested them, teaching the team a valuable lesson as they progressed. The pressure to complete what seems like an impossible quest leads to burnout. After all the efforts that the team has exerted, they finally acquired their 4th Mystical Runekey.
A few moments later, the relaxing silence was interrupted by something unexpected. "Aaaa… Guys, I think my Runecrystal is glowing." Raven suddenly said.
"Mine too!" Darli responded.
End of the Tale of Nesuto & Hachtile